Design Externality Journal: Ethel Red

Online design journal for the Bean project creating an animation for their character, Ethel Red.

Initial Sketches & Narrative Outline

Initial Sketches

I wanted to explore different body types for the design of Ethel to see if I could make some improvements.

As shown, I did a variety of different design ranging in different syles and boy types. Thinking for a quick paced animation of 40-60 seconds, I knew that simpler designs would be better so that the audience could see the character clearly through all of the action. However, not too simple as that may not appeal/or be seen as something for a more mature audience.

The designs I stuck to for Thyra, Ethel and Kira

I stuck to this design for the three characters as I found them easy to draw, simple for animating and effectively used shapes in their design to show off the personality .

Narrative Outline

For the story I thought I’d make almost like a pilot episode that’d try to show off the personality of the characters with plenty of humour that can be added in that’d be driven by character and the world around them.

Story

Ethel and her two friends, Kira and Thrya are sailing the seas on the Viking ship Ormen Lange Jr.

Ethel talks about how ripe the day is for adventure, calm perfect blue skies, gusting winds and the blade of her battle axe being sharp as ever chopping a barrel to prove it

Which Thrya, tying up the ship rope, brings up that this is after Ethel broke into the docks, knocking out the chief of the village, Ethel’s dad, and stealing one of the fastest boats in the fleet forcing Kira and Thyra to come

Ethel tries to shush Thrya saying that’s just what Vikings do, nobody, not even her dad can stop her from a life of freedom

Kira looking panicked says she doesn’t like the look of the giant ocean storm shelf cloud that is heading there way warning that’ll rip their ship to pieces

Ethel turns her words around saying that danger is just an opportunity for adventure and giant monsters to fight because true Vikings never give up!

“Never give up!” as some seagulls swoop them

“Never give up!” as some fish with crab legs invade the ship

“Never give up!” as she hacks at the nose of a giant lobster holding on to the ship

Finally, a slow motion shot of Ethel jumping at the giant bright glowing Aegir, Lord of the Sea, screaming “Never give up!” at the top of her lungs

However, Aegir flicks the crew and ship with his godly hand sending them on a tsunami to be washed up on shore

Ethel mutters “never give up” raising a tired fist

Ethel’s dad’s shadow covers the crew and he says “maybe just a break for once?”, still having the knock on his head